


A Clue, A Clue

by Lyra_Kero



Series: Do You See a Clue? [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Humor, Keith watches it with his nephew, Lance Hosts Blue's Clues, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Shiro's kid can't keep a secret, Smitten Lance (Voltron), brief moment of homophobia, it's all mostly fluff tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 11:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15840093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyra_Kero/pseuds/Lyra_Kero
Summary: Keith and his nephew never miss an episode of Blue's Clues, so of course Keith agrees to take his nephew to see the live show.The only problem is that Keith's hopelessly crushing on the host, Lance, and his nephew seems to want to let everyone within a twenty mile radius know it...





	A Clue, A Clue

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this... god I don't know how long back. I didn't like it so I just tucked it away.  
> I found it again, recently and made a few tweaks here and there. I like it more now.

“You see a clue?” The beautiful man on screen looked into the camera, before he turned his head. He raised his hand as if to shield his eyes from the sun. “Where?”

 

“It’s there!” Little Ren huffed, pointing to the screen. His grey eyes watched as Lance spun around, giggling a bit before the man on TV found the clue and grew excited.  
“Uncle Keith, how come you watch Blue’s Clues with me?”

 

Keith blinked, tearing his eyes from the screen just as Lance began to draw out the clue, a stick by the way, it was clue number two. The first had been a carrot. Keith knew that Blue wanted to build a snowman, but Ren was just excited about all the things and places that Blue was taking Lance. “Because Lance is really cute.” he looked back over to the screen thankful that Blue’s energetic bark had drawn his nephew’s attention away, leading Lance off into a new area.

 

God, the guy was cute. Really cute. Pretty tan skin and blue eyes that twinkled with joy. A cute dusting of freckles across his cheeks and the most amazing laugh imaginable.  
God, Keith was gay. And clearly starved for affection if he was crushing on the Blue’s Clues guy.

 

“You’re gonna crush Lance?” Oh god, Keith said that out loud. “Why are you gonna crush him?”  
“I-I’m not!” Keith looked over to his nephew, eyes wide and face burning.  
“You just said you were gonna crush the Blue’s Clues guy.” Ren frowned a bit more.  
“I said I had a crush on him, Ren.” Dammit, Keith, stop giving in to those puppy dog eyes. “It means I like him.”

 

“I like him too! He’s really funny!” his nephew said, giggling happily. “But what does that have to do with crushing him?”  
Fuck.  
Okay.  
Fine.  
They were having this talk. He could do that. Keith could do this.

 

“Crushing _on_ someone means you _like_ like them, Ren.” the older man said, frowning. “Like your dad and papa.”  
“Daddy crushes papa?” Dammit, Keith didn’t need that mental image of Shiro and Adam. Fuck this child for not knowing how to phrase things.  
“Yeah. Sure.” he muttered.

 

There was silence as Keith and his nephew watched more of the show, Lance asking for help on which shapes would fit in the right patterns.  
“So you like Lance?”

 

Keith wanted to die, that’s what he wanted to do.  
“Yes. Just… don’t tell anyone, okay?”

 

 

 

 _Don’t tell anyone I like Lance._  
How hard a concept is that? _Don’t fucking tell anyone._ He gave that kid ice cream for his silence!  
Betrayaaaal!  
Be-trayal.  
Betrayed me.

 

“So, the Blues Clues guy.” Shiro smirked at him over the table at the cafe. Keith was on break and thought it’d be nice to talk with his brother.  
How wrong he was.

“Your kid needs to learn how to keep secrets.” the younger man said, eyes narrowed.  
“Ren is perfectly fine. I don’t want him keeping secrets.” Shiro said, frowning.  
“Mom would whip your ass when I told her you did something wrong. Then whip mine for tattling. Where is the justice now?” Keith shot back.  
“I’ll tease Ren when he’s older and gets a crush on someone. We’re still talking about the Blue’s Clues guy. Lance?”

 

Keith groaned, lowering his head onto the table. “Yes. Okay. Lance from Blue’s Clues is cute. Shut up.” he mumbled, hearing his brother laugh. “It’s not my fault! They purposely went out and found the most attractive guy they could to replace the other one! I know it! It’s a damn conspiracy the world has to rub it in my face that I’m single!”

“Did that one guy not work out?” his brother asked, raising an eyebrow. “You sounded excited about the date a few weeks ago.”  
“He left me with the bill after he ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. I don’t care if it’s Cracker Barrel, he could have at least acted like he wanted to pay instead of pointing over to me while he was stuffing his face with apple dumplin when it came time to pay. He’s the one who took me there!”  
Shiro winced, before moving to gently pat his brother’s shoulder. The younger man laid his head back down onto the table.  
“I guess you’ve had stranger TV character crushes.”  
“Fuck you, we agreed to never talk about them again.”

“I’m just saying.” Shiro grinned.  
“Not a word or I swear to God.” Keith narrowed his eyes and the two stared at each other.

“Kurama huh?” was all Shiro managed to say before Keith was trying to reach across the table.  
“Shut your filthy mouth! Or do I have to bring up Mimi?” his brother snapped back, smirking when he saw Shiro’s face turn bright red at the mention of his Digimon crush.

 

Keith: 1, Shiro: 0

 

“Tuxedo Mask.” was all his brother said before he stood up, setting down money to pay for his drink and left the cafe.

 

Keith: 1, Shiro: 1

 

Next time, Gadget.  
Next time.

 

 

 

“Uncle Keith! Uncle Keith!” Ren grabbed onto his uncle’s arm, jumping excitedly and pulling on it so much Keith was concerned that he’d actually be able to yank it out of socket. “Guess what? Guess what!”  
“Your dad finally told you about his car being a Transformer.” Keith said, smiling a bit when Ren finally stopped pulling, eyes wide.  
“Really? It is?” he asked, before he shook his head. “No! Lance and Blue are gon’a be in town! Papa and daddy got me tickets to go see them!” Ren resumed his jumping and shaking, now asking if Keith really meant it about the car being a Transformer.  
Keith easily dodged the questions, saying that if Shiro hadn’t told him then Keith couldn’t tell him. _That’s how secrets worked, Ren._  
So Keith was feeling a little petty. Whatever.

 

Shiro didn’t help matters when he talked with Keith, Ren right there in earshot.  
“Ren’s been excited ever since I told him.” he said, smiling fondly. “I also heard that there’s going to be some kind of raffle or whatever. Something to do with the ticket number, but they’re going to pick five kids to be able to go have this Meet and Greet with Lance and Blue. Other kids will get like t-shirts or some other merch.” Ren gave a loud, dramatic gasp and raced over to where his father and uncle were.

“I’m gon’a meet Lance and Blue?!” he shrieked happily, finding himself latched onto his father.  
“Maybe.” Shiro said, smiling softly. “They’re only going to pick five kids, though. So don’t be upset if you’re not one of the ones they pick, okay?”

“Okay.” Ren nodded, before turning to his uncle, smiling brightly. “Uncle Keith! I’m gon’a meet Lance and Blue!”  
“Yeah? That’s pretty cool.” Keith said, smiling down to his nephew.  
“I’ll tell Lance that you like him, okay?”  
Shiro began to laugh and Keith contemplated all the ways he could kill his brother and where he could hide the body. Thinking about the wrath he’d face from Adam, however, made Keith decide against it.

 

 

 

Shiro had planned to take Ren. He had. Adam had been called out of town for a family emergency. A cousin that he was close to had been in an accident. Ren didn’t really know that half of the family, but he had told his papa to give the cousin a Get Well Soon card he’d made.

But then Shiro’s boss had called him, asking him to work that day. Yes, Shiro had already put in the request for time off. Yes, his boss agreed. But when some stomach bug flew around the office and tagged a good chunk of everyone, Shiro and a few others had been asked if they’d be willing to come in to shore up the holes.

 

That meant having to tell his son that he couldn’t go see Lance and Blue and the others.  
That meant having Ren tear up and cry and be upset and have to tell his friends at daycare that he didn’t get to go.

 

That’s why he was calling his brother.  
“What do you want?” Keith asked, his voice sounding exhausted. It was fairly early and Keith wasn’t supposed to be in at work that day.  
“How much do you love me?”  
“I’d fucking sell your soul for a corn chip.” Harsh.  
“How much do you love Ren?” A pause.

 

“What do you want?” Keith sounded more awake now.  
“I have to go into work Friday. Can you take him to that live show?”

 

A bang. A curse. A cat yowl.  
“Keith? Don’t kill your cat.”  
“Marmalade is fine.” Keith huffed back to his brother, and Shiro could hear a bag of treats being shaken. Yeah, Keith’s buttering up his cat. “Why are you asking me? What about--”  
“He’s gone to see his cousin.” Keith hummed in recognition. “Pidge isn’t the best around children and I don’t trust Matt to watch my fish.”

His brother laughed on the other end of the line.  
“I don’t work Friday, so sure. I’ll take him.”  
“Great! The show is at seven! So be here around six?”

 

 

 

Keith hadn’t thought much about the show. Sure, yeah. Lance was on TV, but most of the time these live shows would have “a friend of the host” there. Or have some guy who looked and sounded close enough to the host that the kids wouldn’t know the difference. Keith wasn’t that worried about it. He’d told his brother this much when Shiro asked why he hadn’t freaked out over taking Ren to the show.  
“You don’t know?” Shiro looked to him, the two of them standing in the living room while Ren had ran back into his room, shouting that he wanted to give his uncle something. “The guy is actually touring with them.” Oh.  
Fuck.

 

“Uncle Keith!” Keith turned his head from his brother, trying to quell the inner panic at the thought of being able to see Lance there. Right there up on a stage. Hear his voice not through a TV but live in person. He could do this. It wouldn’t be like Lance was there talking directly at him. Plus there’d be like a thousand other parents and their children there. He’d be fine.  
“Here! I’m bringing my Blue toy! So you can have Lance!”

 

Shiro stifled his laugh by coughing into his fist.  
Maybe he could make his brother’s murder look like an accident?

 

 

 

The hour long drive to where the show was taking place was fine. Ren had been in the back practically vibrating as he talked about how much fun the show was gonna be and how he couldn’t wait to meet Lance and Blue. Keith just quietly reminded him that he might not get chosen, to which Ren said that he was going to see Lance on stage, so that counted as meeting him.

Okay, fine, fair.

“And then later I’ll tell Lance you like him!”

Okay, no. Not fine.

 

They parked, Keith not happy about having to pay the ten dollar parking fee but at least he got a space that wasn’t that far of a walk.  
He got Ren out of his car, making the child hold onto his t-shirt as he locked up then crouched down, looking his nephew in the eye. “Okay, buddy. Listen here.” Ren looked him in the eye. “ _If_ you win this contest thing you _can not_ tell Lance I like him.” He’d be mortified. “Got it?”  
“Got it.” The young boy nodded, hugging his toys close to his chest.  
“Cross your heart.” Ren adjusted the two plushes and made a motion across his chest. Keith then held up his hand, licking his pinky before holding it out. “Pinky swear.” The boy reached up and linked his pinky with his uncle’s. “Spit.” Ren turned his head and spat on the ground. “No breaking this.” With that Keith stood up and grabbed his nephew’s hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

 

“How come you have a weird way of making promises?” Ren asked, looking up to his uncle as they walked into the building.  
“Because I grew up learning that way.”  
“Daddy says you both lived in Texas. And daddy doesn’t do it that way.”  
“Your daddy’s weird. You can tell him I said that.” he smiled as his nephew giggled.

 

 

 

God, Lance looked good up on stage. Sure, the seats he and his nephew had weren’t that close but. Wow. He had an energy about him that just seemed to seep into the crowd and it made the deafening sounds of children and their guardians calling out and laughing bearable and not the worst thing in the world.  
And pretty. Did Keith mention that Lance was pretty? Because, wow, he was really pretty. Keith wished he was closer so he could see the twinkle in Lance’s eyes, but the bright, pearly white teeth that flashed whenever the man on stage smiled made up for it.  
Be still, my heart.

 

Keith had nearly forgotten about the raffle or whatever thing going on that by the time the intermission started and Ren began bouncing in excitement about the contest being called Keith had to quickly shake away fantasies about going on dates and holding hands and kissing and other grade school things.

It was a long process, some parents didn’t seem to bother with it, their children probably not knowing about it. Others were crowding around. Others, like Keith, hung back. All in all, however, the crowd wasn’t bad. It could be worse.  
“Congratulations!” The girl behind the desk said, handing over a laminated ticket to Ren. The boy looked down to the ticket, his eyes wide. “After the show, you and your father can head back here and we’ll take you to go meet Lance.”

“Uncle Keith!” Ren said, looking up, eyes wide as he held out the ticket, his other arm squeezing his Blue toy close. “Uncle Keith, look!”  
“I see.” Keith said, smiling. “Guess we got lucky, huh?”  
“Can I tell this nice lady that you like Lance?”

 

Keith left the table with Ren in tow, the woman giggling good naturedly as the boy’s uncle blushed deeply.

 

 

 

Keith was fine. He could do this. It was just a fun thing. The kids would get to meet Lance and talk with him and it’d be fine. Take some pictures to send to Shiro. Maybe Ren could get something autographed.  
He’d just be in a room with four other guardians and their children. And Lance. Can’t forget Lance.

Ren was excitedly talking to him, holding up his Blue toy and asking if Keith thought that Lance would like it.  
“I’m sure he will.” Keith said, looking down to his nephew, who giggled and started to bounce in excitement.

 

Next to him an older woman smiled, laughing softly. “Your son seems quite eager. I take it this is his favorite show, as well?”  
“Yeah! I love Blue’s Clues!” Ren said, excitedly, turning to the woman. “Uncle Keith and I watch it all the time! Don’t we?” he looked up to Keith, who nodded.

 

“Oh, you’re his uncle?” the woman blushed, “I’m so sorry.”  
“It’s fine.” Keith waved it off, smiling a bit. “My brother and I look similar enough that when I babysit it’s a common enough mistake.”  
“You’re so polite.” An elderly woman spoke up, a pair of grandchildren in tow who were excitedly talking and playing with one another. “And you seem so good with your nephew.”

Oh god, please don’t.  
“I guess. He’s the only kid I’ve ever taken care of, so I’m kind of used to his energy.” Which was why he wasn’t too phased about Ren tugging and swinging his arm as he bounced.  
“I think I have a granddaughter your age.” Nope. No. None of that please. Keith is not a show pony or some kind of purebred that needs to get in your family tree.

 

“I’m sure she’s lovely.” Keith said, pulling on an easy smile. “But I’m afraid she wouldn’t be my type. I’m actually gay.”  
“Then how about my grandson?” Good lord, granny doesn’t miss a beat. “You two could adopt, and I’ll be a _bisabuela_ in no time.” Does granny have a bet going on? Who can be a great grandma first? What do old people even bet? A tube of Poligrip?

 

A younger mother, closer to Keith’s own age, laughed, looking down to her phone as she typed, a little girl clinging to her leg shyly.  
Well, this was fine. Everyone here was nice.

 

“ _Ugh._ ”  
Oh. Thought too soon. The one woman who had yet to say a word was scowling. Keith thought at first she was just impatient about the time, but when he glanced over saw that glare directed at him.  
_Oh no. Please, please don’t tell me._

“I can’t believe they let someone like you here.” _Yep. She is._ This is twenty-eighteen lady, please get with the times. “In all my years I’m just appalled.”  
“How many years would that be?” Keith found himself speaking before thinking. “Do you remember the Witch Trials that your sister died in?”  
Young Mother choked on her laughter.

 

“You’re spitting in the eye of God you filthy sinner!” the woman snapped, scowling as her own child stood by her side, looking up at his mother. She was spouting out more bullshit. Bullshit that, maybe a few years ago Keith would be upset over. Feel his heart squeeze with fear and insecurity.

 

Keith a few years ago was older now. Keith of now had heard everything about this and was having none of it, his eyes narrowing but Resting Bitch Face was still a go. Out the corner of his eye he saw someone walk in, but didn’t pay any attention.  
Keith waited for this woman to stop her triade. Whoever had walked in seemed stiff. Keith glanced over and oh.

Lance had walked in. Lance looked about as done as Keith felt.

Before anyone could say anything, the small child reached up and took his mother’s hand, gaining her attention. “Mommy, didn’t you watch the show?” he asked, and this child had already perfected the Disappointed Parent Face and Voice. “You’re bullying him, and bullying isn’t nice. Say you’re sorry.”

 

Young Mother was quietly dying and Keith heard a faint “damn” from her.  
Keith liked her. Douchy McBitch over there was quiet for the rest of the greet.

 

Young Mother approached Keith while the children all talked with one another and Lance, all eager to meet him. “Hey, I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been snapchatting this whole thing.” She waved her phone and Keith saw the app open. “I made sure not to have your face showing anywhere though.”  
“It’s fine.” Keith shrugged, crossing his arms. “I probably would do the same if I was you.” he smirked and the girl laughed.

 

At that point, Ren had raced back over to Keith, grabbing his hand and pulling him. “Uncle Keith, come meet Lance!”  
“Alright, alright.” he said, smiling down to the child.

 

Lance was even prettier up close.  
“So you’re his uncle, huh?” Lance asked, smiling warmly. It wasn’t a fake smile one would expect from someone like him. It was genuine and kind. He obviously loved what he did. “Ren here talked a lot about how cool of an uncle you are.” Keith smiled, nervously.  
“Yeah, I’m the uncle.” he said, brushing some hair out of his face. “His dad had to work today, so I took him instead.”  
“Uncle Keith watches Blue’s Clues with me!” Ren chimed in, “Don’t you uncle Keith?”  
“Yeah, I do.” he nodded.  
“We never miss a single episode! Right, uncle Keith?”  
“Not a single show.”

Lance was smiling brightly, laughing as he looked down to Ren. “Well, I’m really glad to meet two of my fans, then.” he said, happily.  
“Uncle Keith really likes you!” Ren said, “Don’t you, uncle Keith?”  
“Yeah, I really like hi--m.” Keith’s words faltered and his face quickly began to burn. He turned to look down at his nephew, eyes wide with a new sense of betrayal. Ren just smiled brightly.

 

Demon child. Monster. No ice cream. Keith is not getting ice cream on the way home.  
Ren is going straight home and Keith is going to make his dinner boiled brussel sprouts covered in creamed corn. His presents for the next five years are going to be itchy socks and underwear. Really itchy socks!  
Lance was laughing, his own cheeks tinted red.

Was he blushing? Oh god, Ren just made this worse.  
“Well, I think I might like your uncle, too.” Lance said, looking up towards Keith, his smile softening.

Oh.  
Oh god, Ren just made this better.

 

 

 

The rest of the Meet and Greet was a bit of a blur. Keith was aware what happened. He was aware that him and Lance talked for as long as they could. He was aware that before he left he and Lance had swapped numbers, Lance saying he was going to be in town for a little longer before he had to go to a new state, but they talked about a Sunday morning date.

Keith remembered learning that the show’s studio wasn’t that far away. Sure, it was a long ass drive but totally doable if they wanted to meet up again.  
And as of right now Keith already wanted to have second and third and fifth and twentieth dates with Lance.

 

He looked over to his nephew, seated in the back seat. “Don’t tell your dad.” Keith said, “But your dinner tonight is ice cream and cake.”

 

Ren cheered loudly as Keith drove out of the parking lot to go get their dinner. He couldn’t even be mad when Shiro called him the next day, thoroughly disappointed and telling Keith that he better go buy some medicine for Ren’s stomach ache.  
“Oh. And congratulations on your date with the Blue’s Clues guy.” was the last thing Shiro said before he hung up.

 

Damn that child’s inability to keep secrets.  
Also, good on him for it, because Keith just got a text from Lance that was telling him good morning, followed by a series of hearts and winky faces.

Keith sent a heart back.


End file.
